Ma'Ono Fried Chicken & Whisky Restaurant Review

: When this neighborhood bistro from chef Mark Fuller and his wife Marjorie changed its name from Spring Hill Restaurant & Bar to Ma’ono Fried Chicken & Whisky, it also moved its focus from New American cuisine to Hawaiian-inspired comfort food. The star of the show is now pricey but first-rate fried chicken, a concept that evolved from Spring Hill’s popular Monday night fried chicken dinners. Brined and then soaked in buttermilk, an order of chicken at Ma’ono (the word means “make tasty” in Hawaiian) is $39 for ten huge juicy pieces ($20 for half order), plus kimchi, rice and dipping sauces. Not a chicken fan? The bacon-cheeseburger --- left over from the Spring Hill days --- is legendary. The menu also includes kalbi beef ribs, noodle bowls, whole rainbow trout and loco moco. For dessert, try the banana cream pie with cocoa nibs in the crust or the popcorn ice cream. At brunch, you can get fried chicken nuggets with french toast. Cocktails are a highlight, and there’s a good selection of whiskey and scotch, too.